A Childhood Cancer Survivor Blogging about the World of Childhood Cancer

Posts tagged ‘ARCs’

Grace is Going to Paris!

Giggle Giggle. I will not name any names because I respect the privacy of these kind people, but I have to tell you that there will be two Advance Reader Copies of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery on a plane to Paris this Friday. Gracie-poo in Paris! Now I really feel how writing a book is like birthing a child– I feel like I  am going to Paris because I am so excited for Grace to go!

What is even more wonderful than Grace in Paris is that I have found a friendship in corresponding with these people that delights me so much I feel I am glowing in the dark. You know what I am talking about– when people gush love and kindness, it feels like sunshine inside of me. Grace is going to Paris with “Sunshine!”

For more news that excites me, my sophomore year of high school will end in two days…

And…

Grace  showed up on Greenleaf’s website today:)

http://173.203.240.190/publication/grace/1331

One more thing that is most important of all. I know a teenager named Logan who will be having surgery tomorrow for throat cancer and I would love to have anyone and everyone who believes in prayer to offer one or two or three or… for Logan.

Thanks for your love, for your care, and for your prayers.

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Wendy Robards, The Tribune, and ARCs

Bunches of Advance Reader’s Copies of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery were sent last week, and there are more ready to be mailed this week. I heard back from Wendy Robards, awesome book reviewer and even more awesome dog lover! (Do you know anyone else who loves dogs?!) She even shared a photo of Raven with me, and I think I sent her a photo of Rowan and I, or maybe Echo. Anyway, Wendy wrote a couple of posts about my book, and she will review it in September when Grace gets closer to “her” publication date.

Links to Wendy:

Sunday Salon post

Mailbox Monday post

This was my last full day of school for my sophomore year– I am ready to rest my brain a bit. It feels like some jiggly and weary jello up in the ol’  cabeza! Also, I am so excited to have more time to devote to sharing Grace.

Today I signed a print rider to order final copies of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery. Any guesses on how many books are being printing for this first printing? Just after I signed, we received an email from our local paper, The Tribune. I am grateful for this opportunity to share. When we share those rough roads we have driven down with others, it always seems to help. That is what I really, really want to do. 

Rowan Giving me Therapy

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ARCs of Grace Have Arrived!

Last Friday, I was feeding Brownie, my neighbor’s dog.  It was late in the day, after school and dance.  I had already fed Brownie his two scoops of food and given him his pill-in-a-treat. He had finished eating, and I had already talked sweet “doggie talk” to him so he wouldn’t be so lonely for his people.  Brownie has trouble with his back legs, so he lies down when he eats. Each time I took care of him, I would rotate the bowl to make it easier for him, and when he was finished I would brush him. I miss him.

Anyway, I was finishing up with Brownie when I heard the familiar sound of the UPS truck rounding the corner onto our street.  Since Brownie lives quite a distance from our house, Mom and I raced down Brownie’s driveway so we could look down the street to see if the UPS truck would stop at our house (we knew that ARCs would arrive any day.) 

The Brown Truck drove past our house and pulled into the circular driveway just past ours. 

Mom joked that the Brown Truck would come back to our house after turning around in that cicular driveway.

She was right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Brown UPS Truck pulled up in front of our house and a man climbed out with a dolly and rolled three big boxes of Gracie Goodness to our front door… translated:

ARCs of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery are here, and I am so happy to share!

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ARCs Ready at the Printer and Beads of Courage

This week has been a bit crazy with late night dance rehearsals for shows that start tonight!  I’m not sure if I can fit all of this excitement inside of Melinda!  Besides dancing all day to get ready for the performance tonight, I heard from Jenn at Greenleaf… and she said…

ARCs of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery are ready at the printer!  Yes– READY!

It looks like I will be able to hold one in my hands before I turn sixteen.  What a birthday present!

Did anyone notice that the spaceshuttle Atlantis carried Beads of Courage this time?  Do you know what Beads of Courage are?  I will tell you tomorrow if you don’t look it up yourself first!

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Lance Armstrong and Grace

Yesterday, I told you I was speechless, and today, I have still not recovered.  I can’t help but think back to a year ago when I was battling for my life.  I think of all of the struggles, and I think of how people came along to lift me up… physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Can you imagine life without someone who cares enough about you to stand by you when you are completely incapacitated?  I am blessed.

Also, I think back to two years ago yesterday.  Exactly two years to  the day after I danced in my recital (the light at the end of my treatment tunnel) and celebrated with an amazing End of Treatment Party, Lance Armstrong sends me his book endorsement for Grace!

I admire Lance Armstrong very much for his dedication to helping others with cancer.  He could just “ride off into the sunset,” but instead, he puts enormous time and effort into making a difference for others, now and in the future.  That he has reached out to help children with cancer means the world to me.  I feel strongly, like Lance does, that I cannot just stand by on the sidelines and think, “Oh boy, I’m healed… whooptie-doo!”  I plan on using whatever I have, and all that I am, to work for a change for the better.  A change for healing, and a change for comfort, and a change for a bunch more love in this world.  And Lance has just come “under my wings” to help me soar toward my goal of helping suffering children.  This is a treasure to me. 

Can you guess whose quote will be on the cover of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery?   I think there will have to be at least three.  I will post the new cover very soon:)

And ARCs have been sent to press… I am so excited that it won’t be long before I can share!

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Final Approval for ARCs to go to Press

I am glad that my mom handles the loads of paperwork for our publishing company!  Yikes!  There have been so many finalizing papers, and I admit that I enjoyed putting my signature on two of the agreements.  Who would have ever guessed a year ago, when I was scribbling words in spiral binders, that I would be signing print riders and excitedly awaiting ARCs for Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery in just a few weeks. 

Besides book excitement, dance is awesome this time of the year.  Performances are coming up on Friday and Saturday, May 21 and May 22 at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande for the Nipomo High School Dance Company.  This show will be so much fun for me– I am dancing in 12 dances!  The finale will be so cool… Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” 🙂  Sewing sequined neck adornments for our costumes today too.  And on the 23rd of May, I will perform with San Luis Jazz at the Spanos Theater. 

And then there is lots and lots to take care of right now in school.  I am preparing for my A.P. Biology final tomorrow, and next week, I will take the end of the year special A.P. tests for World History and Biology.  In Spanish II, my homework today was to write a letter (in Spanish) and burn the edges of my paper with a flame to make it look like it was written when Cinco de Mayo took place.  All I can say is that it is always a good thing to burn first and write second!

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ARC Cover Copy for Grace is Here!

Raising baby Grace has entered a beautiful new phase.  She has a cover!  Right here and now I want to thank Sheila at Greenleaf for her awesome design!  I will admit to all of you that when I first saw this cover option, I laughed right out loud.  It is so me.  Now that could be good for some, hmm… hopefully all!  And I hope it will make you giggle a bit too:)

And guess what else arrived today?  ARC pdf… and I haven’t even checked it out yet!

I scurried straight from school today to the DMV to get my driver’s permit.  I passed my written test (I admit I had to study for so many tests last night that my driver permit test took the lowest priority!) and I am off to dance now, rehearsing for our San Luis Jazz show in May. 

Can’t wait to get home to see the Advance Reader Copy of Grace !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Finalizing Endorsements and ARCs Soon

For all of you seasoned authors out there, you guys have this all down…  I am still recovering from the startling fact that a book needs to be raised after you are finished writing it.  But, believe it or not, I have emerged unscathed and actually quite perky from the endorsement phase of book raising.  I am very, very happy that we were able to finalize the paperwork for “The Cheese!” and this endorsement will be on the cover of the ARC for Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery, along with Jeff Foxworthy’s very kind and thoughtful quote. 

I appreciate the doctors who took the time to read what I sent, the cancer foundations who responded with positive encouragement, the celebrities who surprised me with their warmth, and each and every person who supported my project with an endorsement!  It was such a successful endorsement campaign that I have been forewarned of “Endorsement Fatigue.”  I guess that this refers to readers inability to cope with reading endorsement after endorsement.  My thought is that it is better to gather too many and pick the ones we like best.  Promise I won’t “fatigue you!”

There are a few more “floaters” out there that I would love to bring in.  Hmmm… calling all floating endorsements!  Front and center, please !

And then come ARCs!  The end of May… the end of May. 

This is fun.  Yes, this is really fun!

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